Rescue applications rejected - where am I going wrong?

[Dogdesperate]

We have been looking for a Dog to join our loving family for a few Months now. We lost our DDog earlier in the Year so are experienced owners, my DH WFH and I'm part time (one day!) we have a large 3 bedroom house in a quiet leafy area of Surrey with a medium fenced in Garden.
Have found a lot of Dogs we've liked on the Dogs Trust Website but every single application has been rejected. We do have 2 primary school aged Children, could that be a factor? (would like to think not )
I just don't understand why we keep being rejected, my applications are detailed and honest, loving and hopeful! I did call to discuss but the Centre simply said they have lots of applicants for every single dog. Would really like to Rescue instead of just going to buy a Puppy! Just can't figure out where I'm going wrong.

We applied for lots of rescue dogs online. Our youngest was mid-teens, so no really young children.

Things against us were probably that we had a cat, they receive lots of applications for listed dogs. Otherwise we offered a desirable home for a dog, and we insure our pets for vet care and everything. Someone is almost always home.

After a long period of frustration, because I believe in adopting and would normally never choose to shop, we gave up and got a couple of puppies from a breeder. They've been having the most amazing life for several years now. We love our pups but are sorry to have not been able to do the same for shelter dogs who needed a lucky break.

If I could do it again I wouldn't be applying online, I'd go directly to the shelter in person.

I got my rescue puppy from our local rspca. They get litters in fairly frequently, welfare cases where they are removed from homes or the pregnant mother is removed I believe, and they state children need to be 6 and up, so I don't think you sound unsuitable. I would definitely keep trying.

Thanks so much for all of the comments and advice I'll remain hopeful for a few more Months - already added so many local rescues lastnight on FB and think I'll be visiting some centres when I can! 🐾

@Meadowfly Please can I ask why? It seems to be a huge thing now!

I’m not sure what breed you’re after but Labrador Rescue are good about kids and dogs, mainly due to labs loving kids!

Before we got our rescue dog (a decade ago) we looked at getting a puppy from a kennel club breeder and if anything they were even more wary of homing a puppy with young children.

it wasn’t that it was impossible - just that if there were more potential homes than puppies, they would choose households without young children. I think this was based on previous experience of things not working out.

Hi I live in Surrey and we have had a number of rescue dogs from Dogs in Need in Surrey and Pine Ridge Sanctuary in Ascot, all whilst having children. Also I’ve looked at Almaya K9 adoptions and Prodogs (both in Surrey) all will re home to families with children if it’s right for the dog.

@Ilovemyshoes Thank you! I live so close to there and had no idea, I've always just gone with the bigger trusts like Battersea / Dogs trust. I'll definitely be looking into those, thanks again x

@bozzabollix No breed in particular, keeping an open mind - our only specifics were up to a Year in age and Medium being the Max Size!

Have a look at breed specific rescues. They often have dogs crying out for a new home. I know my breed does at the moment.

Alternatively I would consider going to a decent breeder. I show dogs and I do have a litter very occasionally if I want a new pup for the show ring. There are very respectable breeders out there

I have an overseas rescue from Spain. I know there is a lot of bad opinions about these but everyone I know who has adopted from abroad has had a brilliant experience and ended up with amazing dogs. I'd be happy to PM the name of the organisation if you were interested.

OP - it’s the risk of importing diseases. A particular concern is rabies.

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/dog-rescuers-risk-harming-uk-dogs-and-owners-by-importing-dangerous-exotic-diseases-into-the-country-vets-warn/

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/bva-calls-for-extra-vigilance-and-stricter-pet-import-measures-after-first-confirmed-dog-to-human-case-of-brucella-canis-in-the-uk/#:~:text=Advice%20for%20veterinary%20teams,samples%20to%20laboratories%20for%20testing.

We have a rescue from abroad. He's absolutely adorable and a right little character. But he took a lot of time and training but he's good as gold now.
The rescue we used puts all dogs from abroad in foster homes first so they can be properly assessed and have strict guidelines.
Eg. No children under 5 at all and a lot of the dogs they say no kids or older kids only and offer training support and full back up.
There are some really dodgy so called rescues out there so do your research.
We adopted through Phoenix rehoming.

@Meadowfly - thanks for those links. Interesting that in the first one it talks about the thousands of dogs in the UK needing a home - I think the rescue centres need to look at making the adoption process a lot easier for people.

@Dogdesperate Try Dogsblog.
I found this one which might fit the bill?
Hugo - 7 month old male Labrador Cross available for adoption (dogsblog.com)

I used to work at dogs trust from 2018 to end of 2022. We had many many calls coming in of constant people having a go at us because they keep applying for dogs and not getting them.

8am a cute young puppy would go on the website. 8:30 we will have already received 90 applications. 9 o'clock roughly 200 applications so the pup would be taken off the website to stop more applications coming in. You'd be surprised how many unpleasant people there are in the world that would call us shouting down the phone about how they haven't even had a chance. Being extremely extremely rude. But the centre staff are already too overwhelmed with interest to keep applications open after a certain number. There's already 200 plus hundreds more for other dogs that the staff are going to have to go through.

Over half of those homes will have been like yours. Perfect. Nothing wrong with them. But then how are they going to choose? If they have 60 people that all have people working from home or part time with big gardens how will they choose? The dog can only go to one person. They would choose a home and then we'd have an influx of people that weren't chosen on the phone. You'd have 10 phone calls in a row all complaining about not getting the same dog saying the same thing as you. Over 100 people are also thinking "whats wrong with us, we are perfect, why are rh shelters making it so difficult?!" Everyone knows that shelters can get overwhelmed, but no one realises just how many people want rescue dogs. There was practically never a time that I worked there that there wasn't an enormous call queue, and most of those calls were for adopting. The cute, young, easy dogs come into the centre and are gone a week later. It's only the more difficult or older dogs that are in rescues a long time. Any dog that can live with kids... The chances are against you I'm afraid. There's just too many other people wanting the same thing

Op if you are willing to travel slightly further, there is also Diana Bridlecombe Rescue in Hurst which is not far from Bracknell.

I think the big ones have the advantage that they have been more assessed. We haven’t had any problems but at least the ones I mentioned you can properly meet the dogs before you choose.

As others have said please look at smaller rescues or breed specific ones. We are big supporters of our local greyhound charities and all will rehome to families with young children. It's just a case of the right hound! Many of them have been around their trainers children already so are use to small humans.

I think the bigger charities get so many applications that it's just a lottery if you will get picked.

I've had dogs since I was a kid. Have had 7 puppies,3 older rescue. Lost one doggo in January just shy of his 18th birthday. Tried rescues,as soon as I googled, I got English, Ireland Scotland Wales,we are retired, 8th of an acre garden,5ft 5ins new fencing,2 mt locked side gates. Visiting grandkids 12,13. Live on the outskirts of a village,near sea and country. Criteria: 6ft fencing,no visiting children,rural home. I didn't set a particular breed or age, have had a lot of border collies, got an 8 year old bitch. Criteria: must be only dog. Every single one had behavioral problems. I ended up buying a puppy,14 weeks old today. I tried specific border collie rescue, never even got an acknowledgement. Have asked a lot of people on doggy walking,why they have adopted from abroad,I now know!

Not sure about dog adoption but Cats Protection were incredibly fussy, expecting someone to be at home all day everyday. Cats really don’t need 24/7 owners! Some of them had been stuck in a glorified cage for years as a result, poor things.

Might be that?

You are being rejected because what you want is something very rare. A rescue dog guaranteed to be good with children. Unless the dog has a proven track record with children there is no way the Rescue will take the risk.
I think you should be grateful for this cautionary approach rather than find a way round it.

The thing that worked for my (adult)DD when she wanted a dog was to write to her local rescue and tell them her circumstances and ask them to let her know whether/when they had a suitable dog for her. She'd been unsuccessful a few times but this worked and very shortly after they were called about a dog. He's a young adult but very lovely (lab/staffie cross with a bit of collie somewhere according to the vet. Very energetic. Very good motivated).

Having posted yesterday saying I was having no luck I had a call this morning and am going to see the cat I'd like to adopt tomorrow! I am super excited 😊 Fingers crossed your rescue turns up soon x

My next door neighbour has never had a cat,or her partner. We are on a fairly busy road, she got a cat from cat protection society west Sussex,no home check,in a couple of days at Easter. They are both out at work.